President Lungu demonstrated his farming ability when he visited Zambeef’s Huntley Farm today (December 2) to ensure the 2016-17 agricultural season got off to a good start.
He showed his skills with a tractor and then used a hoe to plant, after urging farmers across the country to take advantage of the wider choice of crops now available to them under the Farmers’ Input Support Programme (FISP). He called on farmers to vary their choice of crop and consider moving away from the traditional maize to include other options such as soybean, sorghum, cassava and cashew nuts.
President Lungu said: “Agriculture should now be seen as a business and not simply a way of life. As government we are taking a proactive approach to actualise Zambia’s agricultural potential. The agriculture sector is a catalyst to all sectors in the country’s economy, hence my government’s emphasis on the important role agriculture needs to play in building a Zambia we will all be proud of.”
The President was visiting Zambeef’s Huntley Farm in Chisamba, along with Acting Agriculture Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya, representatives of the Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU), including ZNFU President Jervis Zimba, government officials and farmers.
In welcoming the President and the invited guests, Zambeef joint chief executive officer Francis Grogan pointed out the need to strengthen the local agriculture sector, and its importance in driving the economic growth of the country and enhancing food security.
Mr Grogan also highlighted the need to move away from a dependence on rain-fed agriculture in light of climate change concerns and explore alternate means such as irrigation and water harvesting to complement rainfall.
“We are a proudly Zambian company with a rich history of demonstrating how large companies such as Zambeef can co-exist successfully with small, medium and large-scale farmers the length and breadth of the country,” said Mr Grogan. “Small-scale farmers produce over 95 percent of our staple crop maize. They must be encouraged to produce more maize through using modern technology in cultivation and crop husbandry so their yield can increase.”
“They must be assisted with access to irrigation. This is non-negotiable. Irrigation guarantees the farmer an excellent yield in his or her summer crop, usually maize or soya, and allows him or her additional income from a winter crop.”
Zambeef has approximately 7,971 hectares of row cropping operations (principally maize, soya beans and wheat) which is planted twice a year. A further 8,623 hectares of rain-fed and dry-land crops is available for planting each year.
Zambeef also has in place a deliberate policy that ensures all its beef, dairy, poultry and pork is sourced from local farmers the length and breadth of Zambia. The meat and dairy giant provides a huge and ready market for local produce as well as links to markets through its vast retail and distribution network.
Zambia National Farmers Union President Jervis Zimba echoed the Presidents sentiments and said that agriculture should be the main focus around which other sectors should be developed in an integrated manner.
“Zambeef is among the few companies that has demonstrated that it is possible to build a successful agribusiness and agro-processing industry in Zambia,” said Mr Zimba.
“Zambeef has been instrumental in pushing for 100 per cent local production and we have seen the company achieve this with its 100 per cent local procurement policy on all livestock,” said Mr Zimba. “We are therefore able to see beef, dairy poultry and pork products on the shelves with some satisfaction that a Zambian farmer has a market for their produce.”
At HH’s zambeef. see now HH is even employing chaps like lungu. kikiki
These empty tins have cheapened the Office Of President!!
mwaona kupusa manje?? You have been criticizing HH, the true farmer – he does not need to “show his farming abilities” to cameras hahahha
Acting Agricultural Minister, what the hell has fallen upon Dora Siliya? She can’t be fired for just saying that Edgar is MMD.
UPND bitter community, HH is not a farmer just a thief who pounced on the loopholes in the privatisation process to buy a lot of cattle. Visit any of HH’s ranches and you will be shocked to see. His mother has no car and travels in a scotch cart.
Mr President, visiting commercial farmers is not the way to actualise your agricultural policy. Small scale or peasant farmers is the way. Help them increase their produce, help them diversify from maize to more productive crops. Commercial farmers already know what they are doing.
niwopusa lungu. he doesnt listen
The Lazy dull visionless one 🙂
hahahaha ati president Lungu demonstrated his farming abilities hahahaha
Akantu KUSEYA Ba Lungu, inchito ma trips na swearing ceremonies.
So what is the objective of LAZY Lungu visiting a private company instead of going to a farm on IDC’s portifolios.
because a farm on IDC is dry without any crops to show for kikikiki failed government bane
Guys this is all okay for a head of state visiting and encouraging farmers to grow even more food. The question is; why is he NOT asking those Zambeeef officials why and what happened to those POISONS they were lacing to the matumbo and chifu and internal offouls they were importing from abroad?
Very ungrateful President. People provided transport to ECZ for him to win elections, transporters are not paid up to now and yet the contract said ECZ will pay in one month. We are even going into 2017 now
Just keep quiet. LUNGU Ignore loosers. If these comments reflects the level of thinking among the opposition, I pitty Zambia’s future. All they have leant is insults and student level activism _ UNZASU! Lungu teka
Joke of the day. He always wants to leave his graffiti “lulu was here” on anything others have already built.
“Agriculture should now be seen as a business and not simply a way of life…He called on farmers to vary their choice of crop and consider moving away from the traditional maize to include other options such as soybean, sorghum, cassava and cashew nuts.”- a clear sign that he thinks things happen in a vacuum! He just picks AfDB’s Adesina’s statement and he starts banding it around!! Where is a national strategy and concrete plan to make agric a business? Where is a plan to move nation from peasant agric to commercial and high productivity farming? Where is a concrete strategy and implementation plan for crop diversification? What is the plan on cashew which is already generating billions for some countries??Just talking and talking…!!
Is zambeef not s Zambian company?
He is always visiting
Mr President sir, please don’t forget the people who were with you in the darkest hour. I wish you had taken time to instead launch the planting season ku munzi right with the 95 % maize producers that is the small scale farmers instead of with those imperialist Zambeef capitalists (who are HH’s peers) whose only desire is to fatten their already fat bellies. Nothing good can come out of Zambeef and best move is to nationalise their entire operation in the interest of the nation.
No wonder I say the rich ll become richer and the poor more poorer,now he doesn’t want to lower him self any more by visiting villagers as he use to do during campaign period,how can you take your ideas to pipo with more experience and all farming imputes they want.visit the pipo in rural area and teach them your new methods.pliz mr president.
Ok I see maybe he’s trying to find a way of making up with hh.ecl clever man.
He has no plan for his poor farmers then he decides to go to Zambeef, a private company to admire tractors.. mwebantu what a joke of a president.
Agreeng with fracis gorgan on irrigation we hav a comunity borehole but has bean broken down for th pasat 15years nown if we can be aasited with a sola pump that will be a good turning point for us to start irrigating our gardens irrigAtion is a must as u say it only hoping someone up their will reAd this to reach me sms me on o963895000 thank u